SYDNEY — Australian Kaylee McKeown broke the women’s 200 metres backstroke world record at the New South Wales State Open Championships in Sydney.
With this world record McKeown is now the Olympic champion and world record holder in both the 100m and 200m backstroke.
The 21-year-old clocked a time of two minutes 03.14 seconds, slicing 0.21 seconds off the previous record, set by American Regan Smith at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
The triple gold medallist from the Tokyo Olympics already owned the 100 metres backstroke world record of 57.45 seconds, which she set at Australia’s Olympic Trials in 2021.
The world championships this year are in Fukuoka, Japan, in July.
“After the Olympics I found it hard to get up behind the blocks again,” McKeown told New South Wales Swimming.
“I found a new love for the sport (training with coach Michael Bohl) and it just goes to show that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer.
“I haven´t necessarily changed anything in my program or training wise. It´s just that I´m happier,” McKeown added according to Reuters.
McKeown was part of the Australian gold-winning 4x100m medley team in Tokyo and is also the current Olympic champion in 100 and 200 metres backstroke.
McKeown claimed gold in the 200m backstroke at last year’s world championships in Budapest.
Along with her victory, McKeown also collected three silver medals in the 200m individual medley, the 4x100m medley and 4x100m mixed medley relays.
McKeown — who trains under legendary coach Bohl at the Griffith University club — won four gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, a haul that included wins in the 100m and 200m backstroke.
She finished 2022 with more success, adding the world short course titles in the 100m and 200m backstroke to her list of achievements.
That is an achievement almost unheard of in Australian swimming with the 21-year-old sweeping all before her since storming into the international scene.
The performance is set to send a massive warning shot across the bow of her rivals.
“The race was actually swum 20 minutes earlier than it was scheduled on the time line – I was so rushed…and I said ”what’s going on…?” she said.
“I actually like sitting in marshaling and kind of gathering my thoughts before my race. But I had no time for that…so I just pulled up my straps and went for it really…but I love racing….it’s what we train for…
“The race was actually swum 20 minutes earlier than it was scheduled on the time line – I was so rushed…and talking to (fellow competitor) Molly (O’Callaghan) I said ”what’s going on…?” I actually like sitting in marshaling and kind of gathering my thoughts before my race, but I had no time for that, as I just pulled up my straps and went for it really…”
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